meandering

I read through the book of Jonah the other day. I really like that book. You should read through it too, it's only four short chapters long and easy to do in one sitting.

It's slightly comical how Jonah is so defiant against God--and kind of whiny. For one, he ran away from God's command and got swallowed by a fish because of it. But God had mercy on him and let the fish spit Jonah out, after Jonah humbled himself and asked for God's forgivenss and help:

"[Jonah] said, 'I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple'" (2:4).

That's in chapter two, which has Jonah's beautiful prayer. But even then, Jonah argues with God in chapter four. This is when Jonah becomes particularly prideful and just plain whiny. He disagreed with God's decision to have mercy on the city of Nineveh, who had turned from their wickedness after hearing God's message spoken through Jonah.

"But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, 'Isn't this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate god, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to dies than to live.'" (4:1-3)

Jonah doesn't understand that what God did for Nineveh, is the same as what he did for Jonah himself by forgiving him for running away. It's also funny because this has to be one of the only times in the Bible when God's graciousness and compassion are spoken about as a bad thing.
Of course Jonah wasn't the first to try and run away from God (Adam and Eve) and certainly not the last (me). It's easy for us to think Jonah is just plain silly, but we do the same things.

Anywho, I just wanted to share that. Because I like it.

Today! . . . Is! . . .

Ryan's!! birthday!!

Wasn't his beard so big and fluffy this past summer? And it has a bit of a red tint (and every once in awhile a white hair). He is 24 today. For a short time we were the same age--23--but today he has leaped ahead in time. He will have to teach me what it is like to be so old.

This morning we went out for a yummy breakfast with his roommate, Carlos. We went to Old West Cafe. So good! My tummy is still so happy about it.

Ryan has a monster test tomorrow, so we are now--at this very moment--in the TWU library. He is silently studying next to me, looking so cute and 24.

And some new roommates. Lots of changes for my little fish. He seems to be adjusting well though.

First, he upgraded from a bowl to a ten gallon tank. I knew a guy getting rid of his tank and I got the whole set up for 15 dollars--tank, stand, filter, light, rocks, fake plant, massive rock. Sweet deal. So Louie moved into his new mansion yesterday (and now there is a constant delightful sound of water running in my room.

Then, his mom (me) was so excited about his big new home that she wanted to get Louie some roommates to populate it. So today, Ryan and I went to PetSmart. I got a black moor goldfish named Regina and a snail named Bruce (his friends call him Brucey). Here is Louie with Regina.

I've found it's easier to photograph a fish in a tank rather than in a bowl. If you look closely at the photograph above (and you can do so by clicking on it) you can see Brucey as an orange blob on the bottom left. He is doubled because I took the picture at a corner.

I'm excited about my new hobby of fish-keeping.


This past weekend was very family-filled. Friday, Ryan and I went to Colleyville to spend time with my family and partake in some Christmas card pictures (you can check out my mom's blog for the results). That was a lot of fun, always is. And then on Sunday we went to Ryan's grandparents' place and hung out with his family. His grandparents have a fun house with lots of animals--two dogs, two cats, three goats, one horse, a catfish filled pond, and ducks (did I forget anything, Ryan?). We took turns riding the horse--bareback. We also ate yummy lunch.

Now, I'm onto my flu-free week.

Man what a week . . . of nothing. My sickness (the flu) followed me around throughout most of the week. The only class I went to was ceramics, and I also missed a day of babysitting. I got pretty bored in the mean time. Here is a list of all the movies I've watched while sick: Frequency (that was actually when Ryan was sick last Thursday), Cars, Stardust, Cool Runnings, About A Boy, The Prestige, some of The Illusionist (The Prestige is so much better), and a couple episodes of the third season of Lost. And in the mean time, it has been gorgeous outside.

But enough complaining. I'm lucky to have such a flexible schedule to easily take so much time off. And I'm lucky I have my own personal nurse who is so good at taking care of me (and by that I mean Ryan). I'm now pretty much better, but still coughing.

I've also read a lot. I'm currently making my way through the Chronicles of Narnia; I have never read them. I figured that while I'm still on my C.S. Lewis kick, I may as well read his most well know fiction series. Before I started reading them, I didn't realize there was such controversy surrounding their order. I just picked up the book that had a "1" on the spine and assumed that was where I was to start. According to Ryan, though, it was different than how he had always seen them ordered. Oh well, I was already committed. I'm reading them in chronological order, starting with The Magicians Nephew. I finished that book and the next--The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe--while sick. Now I'm onto The Horse and His Boy. (In case you don't know, the other way to read them is to do so in publication order, starting with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. That what the movies are doing.) Anywho, I'm really enjoying them. They are quick and easy reads and a nice way to pass the time when one has the flu, or any ol' time. Next maybe I should read The Lord of the Rings trilogy? It seems appropriate.

Perhaps I should be reading some school books too . . .
And I do, I just take a break with these.

It's got me. I thought I could elude it. I thought I could fight it, but it has taken me siege.

Ryan was sick Thursday and Friday. I took care of him--while washing my hands every time I passed a sink, taking Vitamin C, taking Wellness Forumla, and not kissing. But here I am, lying on my couch with a 101 fever. Ryan is feeling better though, so that's good. And my roommates are out of town, so I can't get them sick.

Ryan just left to get me some soup and chicken broth. He is so sweet. Today we have been together for fifteen months!!!

And Happy Halloween! Glad I didn't have any plans for tonight to begin with, now I don't have to feel lame about it.

I was kind of relieved when I found I actually had a fever. It means I'm not being a baby and that I am actually sick. Good, that's done, now go away.

I also would appreciate it if it wasn't so durn nice outside. I want to go outside and play! Waa!

Just kidding, it's nice to just lie on the couch. We just finished watching Cars. Good movie.

So the weekend was a success.

Elise turned 23

Molly and David got engaged

Ryan found a praying mantis.

I caught up with some good friends

The goats were happy to see us




It was kind of surreal being in Waco. The whole weekend had me feeling like the past six months have been a dream, and I was going to wake up on Monday in my loft in Waco, and go to class at Baylor. It was weird. But good and refreshing all the same. I like being in Denton and having a life here, but I still treasure the past four years I spent living in Waco.

Really, I'm a very blessed person.

MM hm. I love french press coffee in the morning. Especially freshly ground, local Bookish coffee. Bookish coffee are Denton people who roast their own coffee beans. You order it online and and then they can deliver it to you, or you pick it up from their front porch.





Baylor Homecoming is this weekend. Sic 'em! My first Baylor Homecoming as an alum. So I'm going to be comin home. Excited to see some long-lost Baylor friends, like Rachael who is pictured above (in the middle). She lives in Boston now. And Julia (on the left) who is at Duke in North Carolina.

It's almost November!! I feel I still haven't gotten over the shock of October. That's the way it is though, time always goes so fast. You'd think we would learn that if time is always fast, then it isn't fast but is just going at its normal speed. But we never do. We think it should go slower. Why do we think that? Maybe because it did when we were kids. When we were kids and had nothing to do but play all day, time didn't go so fast.

Confession: I'm mainly writing this post so that the Twilight one will go down and not be the first impression newcomers have of my blog. Mission accomplished (the big picture helped).